Machine for making laminated sheets or plates.



No. 718,914. PATENTED JAN. 20, 1903.

' E. COOPER. MACHINE FOR MAKING LAMINATED SHEETS 0R PLATES.

APPLICATION FILED D20. 18, 1901.

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110.. 718,914. PATENTED JAN. 20, 1903.

.E. COOPER.

MACHINE FOR MAKING LAMINATED SHEETS 0R PLATES. APPLICATION rum: mm. 18,1901.- 10 MODEL. 2 snnn'rs-snnm 2.

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EDWARD COOPER, OF NEIVARK, NEIV JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO SILLS-EDDY MIGACOMPANY, envm.

WlACl-llhlli FOR MAKlNG LAlVllNATED SHEETS OR PLATES.

' SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters iatent No. 718,914, datedJanuary 20, 1903.

Application filed Decemher18,1901. erial No. 86.849. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWARD COOPER, a citizen of the United States,residing at Newark, in the county of Essex and State of New Jersey, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Machines for MakingLaminated Sheets or Plates, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in IO machines for themanufacture of laminated material in the form of sheets or plates; andits object is to form such material at a less expense and of superiorquality to the products now obtained.

The invention is particularly intended for the manufacture of sheets orplates from mica pieces and a cementing material, such as shellac. Theusual manner of making such sheets has been to build up the sheet frompieces of mica by cementing them together with shellac varnish and thensubjecting the built-up sheet to heat and pressure to expel as much ofthe solvent as possible. It is not, however, possible to expel all thesolvent in 2 5 this manner, particularly in the case of thick sheets,and the resulting product when used in locations where it is subjectedto high potential and to heat is apt to give trouble, owing to softeningor to breaking down of the material. It has been attempted to make upthe sheets by the use of dry powdered shellac without any solvent; butsuch attempts have, as far as I am aware, not been practicallysuccessful either on account of the inferiority or the expensiveness ofthe product. I have found that the product is most satisfactorily madeby building it up in a continuous manner with mica and dry powderedshellac, each piece or layer as it is placed on the pre- 0 ceding pieceor layer being attached thereto by fused shellac or cementing material,a coating or deposit of powdered shellac being applied to the micabefore or during or after the application of new pieces, and the micapieces after they are applied being subjected to a rolling pressure byhot surfaces to melt the shellac and to force the applied mica piecesagainst and attach them to the underlying material. The thickness andquantity of shellac required are thereby reduced to a minimum, and inthe subsequent heating under pressure the material assumes a dense solidcondition, being free from any soft or solvent material.

In my application, Serial No. 86,350, filed December 18, 1901, I havedisclosed a machine which is adapted to operate in this manner and haveclaimed same broadly irrespective of the nature of the moving support,claims being also made therein to a particular kind of support adaptedto the production of curved articles.

The present invention relates to a machine which is adapted to theproduction of flat plates or sheets in the manner above set forth andwhich comprises a traveling carrier or apron on which the mica pieces orstrips are laid by the operator or operators, means for applying shellacdust or powder to the mica, and heating and rolling means, ashereinafter set forth.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a diagrammatic View of theapparatus or machine embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a verticallongitudinal section of a portion of the machine, showing one set ofshellac-supplying and pressure and heat applying devices. Fig. 3 is aplan view of the apparatus shown in Fig. 2.

Referring to Fig. 1, a traveling carrier or apron 2 is mounted to travelon suitable driving and supporting rolls 3, journaled in a frame orsupport 1, and at any desired number of points along this apron arearranged sets of devices adapted to attach additional layers of mica tothe material which is carried by said apron, an operator or attendantbeing located at each such set of devices and in case of wide sheets oneach side of the apron to supply the mica strips for such at- 0tachment. Each of the mica-attaching sets of devices comprises a means 4for feeding and distributing finely-divided shellac and a heatedpressure-roll 5, the shellac-feeding means distributing thefinely-divided shellac, so that when the operator or attendant lays thestrips or pieces of mica in overlapping arrangement to form a layer,either on the canvas apron or on sheets of paper or other materialplaced thereon as temporary supports, the shellac-powder will bedistributed over and between said pieces, and in the further movement ofthe carrying-apron the pressure-roll exerts a rolling pressure on themica pieces and at the same time heats the shellac so as to melt it, theshellac being thereby squeezed to a minimum thinness and the mica piecesfirmly attached to the underlying layers. The layer set on by eachattendant or pair of attendants is thus superimposed on thepreviously-attached layers until the product has been built up to thedesired thickness, when it is removed from the apron and, if desired, isbaked under pressure to harden and stiffen it.

The construction of the machine is shown more in detail in Figs. 2 and3. One of the rolls 3 is connected to suitable driving means, as gearing6 6, which drives the apron at a slow speed, so as to allow time for theattendants to lay the mica in place. The other rolls are driven by achain 7, engaging on sprocket-wheels S on all the rolls. Gears 9 on saidrolls engage with gear 9 on the shafts of pressure-rolls 5 to drive saidpressure-rolls at a circumferential speed equal to the speed of theapron 2. Adjustable pressure-applying means, such as a screw 10 andspring 11, are applied to the journal-boxes 11 of rolls 5 to give ayielding adjustable pressure. Means are provided for heating saidrolls-for example, a steam-pipe connection 12, whereby steam may bepassed into the rolls, though any other suitable means may be used. 13indicates a shellac-dust box or receiver for finely-divided fusiblecementing material, mounted, preferably, so that the place at which theattendants place the mica on the apron is between the said box and thepressureroll, this box being in the form of a trough or hopper with asieve or perforated bottom 14, a rotating brush 15 being journaled inthe box and being driven from the chain '7 by gearing 16 17, so as tocause the shellac to pass through the sieve in a continuous anddistributed manner. A plate 18 is placed over the brush 15 to preventclogging.

The operation of the machine is as follows: Operators are stationedalong the apron at the points marked w 00 :0 &c., and the operator at orfirst places a layer of mica pieces in overlapping order either on theapron or on an iron, paper, or cloth blank placed thereon. The movementof the apron then carries this layer of mica under the shellac-dust box,which distributes a layer of finely-divided shellac on same. The secondoperator or pair of operators then lays a second layer of mica pieces onthe first layer, and the apron then carries the material under theheated pressure-roll, which causes the shellac to melt and presses thelayers closely together to form a compact mass. Successive layers arethus applied by the succeeding operators until the proper thickness isreached, and the sheet or plate is then, if necessary, subjected tofurther baking and pressing treatment in suitable hot presses.

Having thus described my invention, the following is what Iclaim as newtherein and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

1. A machine for making built-up sheets in successive layers, comprisinga traveling support, a plurality of means for feeding and distributingcementing material upon said support, intervals between successivefeeding and distributing means of a character to permit manual feedingof the sheet material upon said support, and means to apply heat andpressure to the material on the support.

2. A machine for making built-up sheets in successive layers, comprisingan endless traveling apron, a plurality of means to feed and distributecementing material over said apron, and means to apply heat and pressureto the material on the apron adjacent each of said feeding anddistributing means,said feeding and distributing means placed atintervals apart, said intervals of a character to permit manual feedingof the sheet material upon said support.

3. A machine for making built-up sheets in successive layers, comprisinga traveling support, a plurality of means to feed and distributecementing material upon said support, a heated pressure-roll adjacenteach of said feeding and distributing means, intervals betweensuccessive feeding and distributing means, said intervals of a characterto permit manual feeding of the sheet material upon said support.

4. A machine for making built-up sheets of successive layers,comprisingatraveling support, a plurality of receptacles forfinely-divided fusible cementing material, means in each of saidreceptacles for positively and evenly distributing the material thereinover the traveling support, means adjacent each receptacle to apply heatand pressure simultaneously to the material on the support, and

intervals between successive receptacles of-a character to permit manualfeeding of the sheet material upon said support.

5. A machine for making built-up sheets in successive layers, comprisinga traveling support, a plurality of receptacles arranged along saidsupport, each receptacle provided with means to feed positively andevenly cementing material upon said support, and also with means toprevent the feed from clogging, pressure-rolls arranged one above andone below the traveling support adjacent each receptacle, with heatingmeans for one of said pressure-rolls, intervals between successivereceptacles of a character to permit manual feeding of the sheetmaterial upon said support.

6. A machine for making built-up sheets in successive layers, comprisinga traveling support, a succession of receptacles for finely-dividedfusible cementing material to discharge upon the support at intervalsalong the same, each of said receptacles being provided with means tofeed positively and evenly the cestitutes the body of the sheet, andeach of l menting material upon the support, the ini said receptaclessucceeded by heated pres- 10 sure means.

tel-val preceding each of said receptacles in EDVARD COOPER thedirection of travel of the support being of a character to permit themanual feeding of the material upon the support which con- Witnesses:

A. P. KNIGHT,

HARRY E. KNIGHT.

